A1 Water Wise Poster (Agapanthus) – Without Rand Water System
A1 Water Wise Poster on Agapanthus, without the Rand Water system
Please note: The lines shown in the image below will not appear in printing
Preview
A1 Water Wise Poster (Agapanthus) – With Rand Water System
A1 Water Wise Poster on Agapanthus, with the Rand Water/drop-system
Please note: The lines shown in the image below will not appear in printing
Preview
A1 Poster: Vital Veggie – Gem Squash
A1 Vital Veggie poster for your garden centre
Preview
Louisiana Iris /Water Ir (Iris ser. Hexagonae)
Louisiana irises are beardless irises belonging to the series Hexagonae. They are native to the bayous and marshes of southern Louisiana, along the Mississippi River, and across most of the southern United States. They are characterized by their love of water, although they are equally at home under normal garden conditions, they can be grown in pots, raised beds, dug out beds, at the edge of ponds or streams, shallow water, and just about any other way! Louisiana Irises flower from September through October and occur in all the colours of the rainbow, ranging from pure white through yellow, orange, red, purple, violet, magenta, blue, lilac, pink and all the shades in between. They like to have almost full sun, but will benefit being shielded from very hot afternoon sun. Louisiana Irises are heavy feeders and like to be fed at least twice a year, in the fall (when they should be replanted) and again about a months before they flower in spring.
Free State Stockists
Gauteng Stockists
Colourful Splendour
Lifestyle Home Garden
Nicolas Plants
Plant Paradise
Safari Tuinsentrum
Schafflers Nursery
Mpumalangaย Stockists
North Westย Stockists
**Please note that not all stockists will have every plant featured**
Waterlily (Nymphaea Sp.)
Prima Donna, first lady of the stage! Your devotees are on their kneesโฆ the waterlily is indeed the Prima Donna of the watergarden! Their exquisite flowers in shades of white, yellow, peach, salmon, pink, red, purple and blue are set off by their equally splendid floating leaves ranging from lush green to maroon. Whilst each flower last between 3 and 4 days, few other plants match their long flowering season extending from September through March, if fertilized regularly. Waterlilies require a minimum of 6 hours of direct sun for optimum growth and flowering as well as at least 15 โ 30 cm of water over the plant, but can easily adapt to water more than 1 m deep. Waterlilies require replanting every season in the spring or early summer to ensure they have adequate nutrients for optimal flowering โ use a specially formulated aquatic plants soil or mix your own using 3 parts red, clay-like topsoil and 1 part well composted kraal manure, and a generous helping of bonemeal (ยฑ 10 ml per 1 โ of soil), finish this off with a thin layer of river sand. Supplemental fertilizer can be given throughout the growing season by adding extra bonemeal or Osmocote to the soil.
Free State Stockists
Gauteng Stockists
Colourful Splendour
Lifestyle Home Garden
Nicolas Plants
Plant Paradise
Safari Tuinsentrum
Schafflers Nursery
Mpumalanga Stockists
North West Stockists
**Please note that not all stockists will have every plant featured**
Porcupine Sedge (Scirpus Zebrinus)
This highly ornamental sedge has 0.8 โ 1.5 m tall green stems which are horizontally banded with white stripes resembling porcupine quills, making a bold statement in any watergarden! The stems are topped with small clusters of inconspicuous, brown spikes. Porcupine sedge grows best in moist soil to shallow water no more than 15 cm deep. The variegation is most pronounced on new growth so fertilize regularly to maintain and grow in full sun. Cut back during winter dormancy and leave pot in pond.
Free State Stockists
Gauteng Stockists
Colourful Splendour
Lifestyle Home Garden
Nicolas Plants
Plant Paradise
Safari Tuinsentrum
Schafflers Nursery
Mpumalangaย Stockists
North Westย Stockists
**Please note that not all stockists will have every plant featured**
Vital Veggie for October: Squashes
Growing perfect squash
Squash and pumpkins have been enjoyed on South African dinner tables for centuries. This is not surprising considering how delicious they are and the ease with which they grow.
Starting Off
Most squash varieties need quite a bit of space in which to grow and have historically only been grown by gardeners with large vegetable gardens. Fortunately, through modern hybridising techniques, new cultivars have been developed that will not take over large areas and can be grown in most gardens. A quick look on the back of the seed packet will tell you if the cultivar is suitable for your garden.
It is advisable to plant your squash seed as soon as all danger of frost has passed. Alternatively, they can be started off early in pots kept in a sheltered, frost-free environment and planted out once the weather has warmed up. If you live in the Lowveld, you can plant throughout the year. Squash perform at their best in a deeply dug bed that has had plenty of compost and well-rotted manure turned into it. Plant the seed in stations of about 450mm in diameter and 1m apart (less for bush varieties) and grow 3 to 5 seed per planting station.
General Care
Keep the soil constantly moist until the seedlings are established, and then water deeply whenever the soil starts to dry out. If possible, water by flood irrigation as this reduces the chances of fungal attack. Feeding the plants with a balanced fertiliser or liquid manure every few weeks will give you the best results. Because of their trailing habit, most varieties can be trained up trellises to help conserve space. When the fruit gets bigger, give it some support so that it does not snap off prematurely.
Harvesting
You can look forward to picking your first fruit in as little as three months, less if you are growing baby varieties.
October in the Garden
We are excitedly marching off to our nearest GCA garden centre to buy flower and vegetable seedlings, seasonal perennials, groundcovers, ornamental grasses, flowering shrubs, fruit trees, and all the other stalwarts of mid-spring to plant now. AND, itโs โrose monthโ! We also know that October is a fine time to feed all plants and to protect mid-spring treasures against pests and weeds. But most of all, enjoy your spring garden!
Seedling newsflash!
Ready-to-plant annuals in seedling trays are the fastest and cheapest way to turn any garden into a garden of Eden and at this time of year, and you are spoiled for choice. Flower seedlings to plant include: petunias, lobularias (alyssum), gazanias, dianthus, penstemons, summer chrysanthemums, Sunpatiens, salvias and celosias – all perfect for sunny spots.
Remember that seedling success relies on: Compost enriched soil and regular feeding with a water soluble fertiliser. So, make sure that you stock up on these products as well.
Bountiful flowers and food
Summer-flowering annuals like cosmos, marigolds, lobelias, Portulacea, zinnias and sunflowers, and most summer vegetables and herbs can be sown, now that night temperatures are higher. Here are some handy tips when sowing:
- Large seeds โ place a piece of chicken wire over the seed tray to make a template for sowing evenly. Use one seed per hole.
- Small seeds โ fine seeds such as lobelia can stick to your fingers and are difficult to spread out. Mix them with dry sand or bread flour in an old flour shaker and shake the mix lightly over the moistened soil.
Some easy-to-grow veggies to sow now:
Cucumbers โ sow seeds directly. The plants will need sturdy stakes to keep the fruit off the ground.
Green beans โ plant seeds of bush types which are easier to manage.
Squashes and baby marrows โ sow seeds directly.
Kids Activity October: Keep cool with wonderful water gardens
Spring has sprung and the summer sunshine is around the corner. October is the perfect time to have some fun in the sun - itโs time to get up and get gardening with your kiddies.
Cool off under the sunny skies with a water oasis that adds some tropical warmth to your garden. This water garden is the perfect way to refresh your patio or add a touch of leisure to your outdoor area.
What you will need:
- A watertight basin or bucket, between 30 to 40cm deep with a diameter of between 60 to 90cm
- Topsoil, which contains clay (or simply, aquatic soil)
- 1 x Aquatic crate with lattice, fitting to the size of the plant you purchase
- 1 x Terracotta pot
- Aquatic fertiliser
- Silica sand
- Bricks and/or pieces of bricks
- Aquatic plants, such as Water Lily, Acorus gramineus, floating aquatic plants and a variety of others. Visit your local GCA garden centre for advice on the best plants to use
- Plastic frog, duck and/or pink Water Lily
- Water to fill the container
What to do about fruit flies
Symptoms
Our “gogga” of the month for October will cause prematurely ripe fruit and vegetables, which rot soon after. It’s the fruit fly.
What does this mean for me/my plants?
Fruit and veggies will be totally spoiled (inside and possibly outside too) and inedible if not treated
Suggested Action
A preventative spraying programme for fruit fly and coddling moth must be followed every two weeks from 80% blossom fall. Alternatively a bait may be put out – but the bait must often be replaced. Often, the fruit is opened and is infested with worms, with no outside damage to the fruit. This is because the eggs are laid and the fruit forms around these. If a preventative spraying programme is not followed, most fruit will be damaged.ย Visit your local GCA garden centre forย advice on the best solution for you!
Summer Show Stoppers
Hailing from around the globe, including several indigenous varieties, Begonias come from a massive genus consisting of more than a thousand species. With over ten thousand documented hybrids there is an almost confusing array to choose from. ย When it comes to long lasting, outdoor colour however, there is little to be confused about. Begonia semperflorens or bedding Begonias and its numerous cultivars, are just the thing to brighten up those dull areas in the garden.
Impatiens โ known to many as โBusy Lizziesโ โ are a vital ingredient to any summer garden. Few, if any, other plants offer such a mass of blooms for such a long period as do these valiant little plants. For a relatively small outlay, a few trays of impatiens will transform a dull shady corner into a riot of gorgeous colour. Impatiens will perform beautifully all summer long, impressing all passers-by. Once impatiens are established, discerning gardeners the world over are finding them among the most carefree annuals in the garden.
Begonia
One of the many advantages bedding Begonias have is that they are relatively maintenance free. They donโt need deadheading and will provide colour from early spring right through to the end of May, especially if given a regular helping of seedling food.
When planting in sunny position the seedlings need to be placed closer together (10cm apart) as the plants wonโt spread as much. If it is very hot, it is a good idea to mulch between the plants to keep the soil cool, although as the plants grow they will soon shade their own roots. Many gardeners are under the misapprehension that either the green or bronze variety perform well in the sun. This is just a myth as both green and bronze varieties perform well in both sun and shade. In shade, Begonias grow a bit taller and spread further so space them 15cm apart when planting.
Builders Express Hermanus Builders Express
Hermanus Builders Warehouse Rossburgh Builders Warehouse
Rossburgh How to Make a Vertical Garden Read more here
Read more here Top Plants for October
A list of the top plants per region, for ย October, to order for your garden centre
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Downloadย here!
Water Wise Watch: September
This month at Water Wise
"Spring has sprung!"
Although we were hit with a number of cold fronts towards the end of August,ย ย weather forecasts suggest a spring full of rain and warm temperatures. However, the excessively dry conditions experienced across the country this past year continues to have an impact on our precious water supplies, so please remember to always be Water Wise. Enjoy!
Are you enjoying our new newsletter layout? Please letย us know what you think of our newsletterย atย waterwise@randwater.co.za.
Local Water Wise News (Click the headings in bold below to read each article)
Aardvarksโ tragic fate points to worrying consequences for wildlife as a result of climate change"
The aardvark, a highlight for anyone on a game-viewing African safari, will become increasingly rare as the world warms and dries, and the consequences go well beyond a decline in aardvark safari encounters."
Drought is the new normal, says Mayor De Lille
"The following speech was delivered by the City of Cape Townโs Executive Mayor, Patricia de Lille (top photograph), at the full Council meeting on 27 July 2017..."
Water scarcity drives a new wave of practices in Cape Winelands
"The practice of cultivating grasses such as wheat, nearly 10,000 years ago, laid the foundations of todayโs large urbanized communities."
Cape Town reveals sites of proposed new water desalination plants
"Cape Town's Granger Bay, Hout Bay and Dido Bay may soon be home to three proposed new desalination plants that the city intends commissioning to make extra drinking water ..."
Weather for August/September
The southwestern parts of South Africa are set to receive above-normal rainfall during early spring, with cooler conditions. However, the northern regions of the country can expect above-normal warm temperatures. Weather forecasts confidently predict that the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is expected to remain in a neutral phase during South Africa's summer period.ย
SANA Marketing News: August 2017
Your one-stop link for news in August 2017!
Click hereย to readย the First Marketing Newsletterย forย August
Click hereย to readย the Analytics and Publicity Report forย August
SANA Marketing News: July 2017
Your one-stop link for news in July 2017!
Click hereย to readย the First Marketing Newsletterย forย July
Click hereย to readย the Analytics and Publicity Report forย July
Cape May Bush (Spiraea ‘Flero Pleno’ )
Cape May Bush/May flower/Bridal showers
Between the months of spring and summer the elegant curving branches of Spirea cantoniensis โFlora Pleno โbecome covered in pure white, double petaled flowers. This makes a magnificent display in the garden, especially when a dark background allows for a contrast against the snow white flowers.
Although classified as a medium garden shrub Spirea cantoniensis โFlora Pleno โ can reach a height of around 2 meters with a wide spread of approximately 2,5 meters. They work well as fillers for large beds or as hedges that are not required to be evergreen.
โMay flowersโ are quick growing and pruning is best after flowering , ensure arching canes and dead wood are cut all the way down to the base of the shrub when doing this. The shrub does tend to form multistems at its base
as it gets older, remove these unwanted stems in early spring. Although the shrub is classified as deciduous in cold regions it can be classified as evergreen in more temperate climates and copes very well with frost conditions when established. Spirea cantoniensis โFlora Pleno โgrows and flowers best in full sun , but will grow in a semi shade condition. In extremely hot areas it may be best to choose to grow them in a semi shade condition.
โMay flowerโ shrubs need average water once established and tolerate many soil types. For best results plant in a fertile moist ground and ensure an organic mulch is used.
Eastern Cape Stockists:
Floradale Nursery – Port Elizabeth
Builders Express East London
Builders Express – Jeffreys Bay
Builders Express – Newton Park
Builders Express – Uitenhage
Builders Warehouse – Port Elizabeth
Free Stateย Stockists:
Alma Kwekery – Welkom
Bruwer Kwekery – Bloemfontein
Builders Warehouse Bloemfontein
Greenside Kwekery – Bloemfontein
Urth Garden Centre – Bloemfontein
Gautengย Stockists:
Colourful Splendour – Craighall Park
Garden Pavilion – Eckards
Garden Pavilion – Sunkist
Plant Paradise Garden Centre – Pretoria
Schaffler’s Nursery – Johannesburg
Mpumalangaย Stockists:
North West Stockists:
Western Cape Stockists:
Starke Ayres Garden Centre – West Coast Village
Stodels – Bellville
Stodels – Constantia
Stodels – Kenilworth
Stodels – Milnerton
Stodels – Somerset West
Builders Express – Knysna
Builders Warehouse – Cape Gate
Builders Warehouse – City
Builders Warehouse – Constantiaberg
Builders Warehouse – Table View
Builders Warehouse – Tygerberg
**Please note that not all stockists will have every plant featured**
Columbine (Aquilegia ‘Songbird’)
This compact plant has eye catching, darling bell shaped flowers from in an assortment of colours. It flowers from Spring to Autumn, enjoys semi shade and reaches a height of 50cm. Columbines are hardy perennials. They are loved by insects and butterflies.
Eastern Cape Stockists:
Floradale Nursery – Port Elizabeth
Builders Express East London
Builders Express – Jeffreys Bay
Builders Express – Newton Park
Builders Express – Uitenhage
Builders Warehouse – Port Elizabeth
Free State Stockists:
Alma Kwekery – Welkom
Bruwer Kwekery – Bloemfontein
Builders Warehouse Bloemfontein
Greenside Kwekery – Bloemfontein
Urth Garden Centre – Bloemfontein
Gauteng Stockists:
Colourful Splendour – Craighall Park
Garden Pavilion – Eckards
Garden Pavilion – Sunkist
Plant Paradise Garden Centre – Pretoria
Schaffler’s Nursery – Johannesburg
Mpumalanga Stockists:
North West Stockists:
Western Cape Stockists:
Starke Ayres Garden Centre – West Coast Village
Stodels – Bellville
Stodels – Constantia
Stodels – Kenilworth
Stodels – Milnerton
Stodels – Somerset West
Builders Express – Knysna
Builders Warehouse – Cape Gate
Builders Warehouse – City
Builders Warehouse – Constantiaberg
Builders Warehouse – Table View
Builders Warehouse – Tygerberg
**Please note that not all stockists will have every plant featured**